FREMONT, CA: Pleasanton Fair grounds was filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of India on Saturday Oct 26 starting at noon, when the Federation of Indo Americans of Northern California and Fremont Hindu temple sponsored its second annual Diwali Mela, or “Festival of Lights.”
Tens of thousands of people cheered and celebrated which marks the beginning of the religious festival of lights but has become an annual party for all Bay area communities.
The all-day celebration featured a full slate of events, including cultural performances, concert by Harjit Mehndi, children’s activities, and authentic Indian cuisine. Young talents from Bay Area participated in cultural programs with Vijay Aasuri of FIA coordinating and ensuring a flawless program.
The Ramayana came to life with the Ram Lila performance. Participants wore colorful costumes and re-enacted scenes from the Ramayana. The festivities followed a familiar setup, with a Diwali Mela featuring booths selling merchandise, food from several restaurants, games for kids and the activities of other community organizations.
Bharat Yatra was the highlight of the Mela. It had booths displaying the rich heritage of Indian States and was educative for the kids growing up here.
“Diwali is a festival of the reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, celebrating the simple joys of life,” said Dr Romesh Japra, Chairman and Convener of FIA. “Diwali is the ‘Festival of Lights.’ Even today in the modern world, it projects our rich and glorious culture and teaches us to uphold the truth and the prevalence of good over evil.”
Dr Japra also said that the main message of Diwali Mela is to understand and emulate values from the Ramayana about relationships between brothers, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives.
The entire event was promoted in an aspect whereby all cultures and ethnic groups actively participated. This attracted audiences from various ethnic groups and cultures; thus bringing members of the community together.
The lighting of lamps on Diwali symbolizes the dispelling of fear and darkness, and the spiritual awareness of the inner light, said Rajesh Verma, President of FIA.
Many local dignitaries and community leaders participated in the celebrations. Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne, California Senate majority leader Ellen Corbett, Roman Reed, San Jose Council Member Ash Kalra, Ro Khanna (former Assistant Deputy Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration), Raj Salwan, Joe Johal, Rahul Roy, and Mahesh Pakala attended and emphasized the importance of cultural integration and the contributions of the Indian community.
The event was attended by over 20,000 people and was a grand success. The organizers have started planning for a bigger show next year.
Diwali Mela ended with a massive fireworks display around 8:45 pm and was a treat to watch. A grand treat as the firework display for 20 minutes was the showstopper for the night.
Dr Romesh Japra thanked the sponsors Bank of the West, State Farm, New York Life, Wells Fargo, and Money Gram, India.com, Jadoo TV and Yupp TV for their support. He thanked the volunteers who were the pillars of such a grand show.
Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
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